At The Beginning With You (As You Wish)
by Hatake Kai
Summary: Before they were Charlie and Monroe, they were Charlotte and Sebastian. A story that starts with Bass first meeting Charlie as a child and then again as an adult. Movie allusions, songs, and references; particularly Disney and other Princess films (Anastasia, Princess Bride, Swan Princess, etc.). Series companion/ sequel is Can't Rewind Now We've Gone Too Far (Life is Pain)
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Before they were Charlie and Monroe, they were Charlotte and Sebastian. A story that starts with Bass first meeting Charlie as a child and then again as an adult. Alot of movie allusions, songs, and references; particularly Disney and other Princess films (Anastasia, Princess Bride, Swan Princess, etc.). Basically a bunch of One Shots that will include Pre-series to Current episodes. May be nonlinear later on.

Notes: I Don't Own Anything, but what comes from my own head. The title is just a working title for now, but it may or may not make sense later.

The first time they met, she was 3 and he was being dragged by Miles to watch her following the birth of her brother. He honestly couldn't care less where he was, Miles just up and packed up his things and told him that they were heading out to Chicago. He'd seen pictures of the picture that Miles got in the mail, but Miles didn't visit his brother after he married Rachel. Bass knew why, but he always wondered if Ben did.  
When they arrived at the Chicago townhouse, they were met by a worry faced Ben who was holding this golden haired toddler who looked like she was ready to jump down and bolt out the door. Miles hugged his brother and took the girl, who was seemingly expecting to be handed off and promptly asked, "Are my uncle? Daddy said that I have one watch me."

Bass was standing behind Miles with his backpack and another travel bag. He felt his heart twinge at the sight of the child; he vaguely recalled her name being Charlotte or something like that. Miles smiled at the child, walking in and letting Bass follow before Ben shut the door. "Yeah, kiddo. I'm Miles; and I'm gonna watch you while your mommy and daddy take care of the baby."

Miles set her down and she looked right at Bass. "Who are you? Are you my uncle too? Daddy said I only have one." She put her hands on her hips, her words soft and sweet sounding coming from her mouth.

Bass swallowed, he hadn't talked much since that night. His therapist said it was normal, he just needed time. He was about to speak when Miles spoke up, "This is my friend Bass, you're going to help me watch him while I'm here." Bass felt another twinge, this one more from frustration at Miles; the man hadn't left him alone for more than thirty minutes since he found him at the cemetery.

"But his a growed up; doesn't he supposed to watch me since I'm not a growed up?" Charlie said, looking at Bass. "Is he sick?" She stayed by Miles, her young eyes seeming to study the curly haired man in front of her.

"Uncle Miles is just being silly sweetheart. Why don't you take Bass into the living room so I can talk to Uncle Miles?" Ben spoke up, looking apologetically at Bass. "Is that all right with you Bass?"

Bass nodded and was soon being dragged towards a room messily slewed with toyed and DVD cases. "Wanna watch a movie Mr. Bass?" She didn't seem to expect an answer as she was soon putting in a disc into the player and grabbed a stuffed animal. "This is my favourite movie." She then grabbed his hand and moved them to the couch. He hadn't realized he was standing in the middle of the room until then. "Are you all right Mr. Bass?"

Bass cracked a fake smile, something he'd become used to the last few weeks. "I'm all right Charlotte, just not used to being in a house I suppose."

"My name's Charlie not Charlotte." Charlie giggled, lisping a bit as she said Charlotte.

Bass replied, relaxing a bit as some commercial for a Disney movie played on the television. "I think your name is Charlotte, that's what the pictures your mom and dad send to Miles say."

"Nuh-uh, my name is Charlie. Only my mommy calls me Charlotte when I done something not good." Charlie said, looking at Bass critically as she spoke. "And Bass isn't a real name; it's a type of animal or something."

"Bass is a nickname like Charlotte is for Charlie." Bass said, scratching his arm absentmindedly.

"Then that isn't your name! What's your really name?" Charlie insisted, turning on the couch to look Bass in the eye. Bass shook his head, gaining a whine from Charlie, "Secrets don't make friends."

She sat on her bottom, crossing her arms as the movie started. There was a good five minutes of silence, Bass actually watching the movie. It was some fairy tale movie about a girl who falls in love with a farm boy that she bullied around. And then he died. Bass wasn't even going to comment on the misanthropic message of the movie when Miles came into the room. "What's with the long face Charlie? Is Bastian being a spoil sport?"

Charlie jumped up at the sound of her uncle's voice and started talking to him over the back of the couch, "Bass isn't telling me his really name! He keeps calling me Charlotte even when I asked him to stop."

Miles walked around and stood in front of Bass, a humorous twinkling in his eye. "Is this true Sebastian?

Bass glared at Miles, but was interrupted by Charlie. "Is Sebastian his really name? Sebastian, like the crab in The Little Mermaid ?"

Bass groaned, "Jerk." He muttered throwing a couch pillow at Miles' face when he was suddenly assaulted by a 30 pound child.

"You said a bad word Sebastian; you gotsta go to the timeout chair." Charlie said, pulling on Bass's arm.

"No I don't. Time outs are for children." He looked to Miles for support but was just laughed at.

"No, everyone goes to the timeout chair, even mommy and daddy. You havesta go to the timeout chair for 5 minutes." Charlie said, all seriousness on her face.

"Bass, just go. It's for five minutes, not a prison sentence." Ben's voice said from behind the trio.

Charlie jumped down, "Sebastian won't go daddy! Tell him to go or he can't haves dessert." She ran to her father, "He called Uncles Miles a mean name when he told me his really name. And Sebastian didn't even tell Uncles Miles sorry!"

"Well, sounds like both of them need to go time out." Ben said, looking at Miles sternly. "It isn't nice to tell others things that someone doesn't want people to know. Why don't you grab mommy's timer and you can make sure they serve their time outs."

Charlie smiled as she ran to the kitchen, leaving her father with the other two. There was a chuckle in his voice as he next spoke, "I never thought that I would have to get a three year old to watch you two. Just don't kill each other, and the numbers are on the fridge." Charlie came back with the timer as he was done speaking and Ben kissed her forehead, "I'll be back soon, okay sweetheart. Be good for Bass and Miles and eat all your vegetables."

"I will daddy," Charlie promised, hugging her father.

And this is how, at the age of 28, Sebastian Monroe, United States Marine, found himself sitting in a chair facing a corner as a three year old played evil dictator for five minutes. Only benefit was that Miles shared his predicament.

Notes: What you think? This is unbeta'd... Reviews are most welcome. Honestly I love the idea of Bass in time out :) He really needed a lot of them when he was being a dictator.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Little Townhouse in Chicago

Summary: Bass Reads to Charlie; Miles Cooks (With almost disastrous results); and Charlotte the Dictator

Notes: Don't own anything but my thoughts :) The Bastian thing... It's my head canon that Miles calls Bass that when he wants to annoy him... or something like that. Kinda like how he called Ben Benjamin in the pilot...

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Bass and Miles were soon out of their time out corners, Charlie having made sure they kept their noses against the wall for a better part of their punishment. Bass was almost sure that the child had taken a bit too much enjoyment out of their situation. As soon as the timer rang, Charlie was dragging her captives back to the couch and they finished the movie; the ending was much better than Bass had anticipated. Honestly, a pirate beats a silly farm boy anyday of the week.

As the credits started to roll, Charlie jumped up and started to set her stuff animals and dolls in a circle. Bass watched her as she concentrated on getting a rather saggy bear to sit against the wall. "What are you doing Charlotte?" He asked, leaning forward a bit to grab the television remote. Miles left the room to see, how he put it, "If Ben was smart enough to get microwaveable food."

"I'm going to have a tea party," She replied, giving up on the bear and looking at Bass. "But no growed ups, Sebastian. "

Bass cracked a smile, "All right." The little girl was so ornery about calling him Sebastian anytime he called her Charlotte.

Charlie went back to her toys, getting a bunch of mix matched cups and setting them before the toys. Bass sat back into the couch, yawning slightly as sleep lost for the last few days crept up on him.

...WeepLittleLionMan...

Bass felt a tug on his arm, pulling him out of the cool darkness that was his rest. "Sebastian... Sebastian, reads me a book, pease?" A little voice said, tugging on his sleeve once again.

Bass opened his eyes, seeing Charlie looking at him holding a rather good sized book. "Sure. I guess... Where's Miles?" He asked, looking a around as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. Figures he'd be in the room with a kid.

"Uncles Miles said he was getting dinner ready." Charlie said, setting the book on Bass's lap and scooting close to him.

Bass looked behind the couch, and then shook his head. If it was inedible, he'd just get take out or something. Hopefully Ben left something for tonight. He looked back at Charlie and picked up the book. "Little House in the Big Woods, huh?"

Charlie nodded, trying to get Bass to open the book. "Gramma gave me it and mommy started reading before..." Charlie stumbled on what she was saying, " Before she had to get the baby. Daddy said that Uncles Miles would read to me, but he said to ask you."

Miles... Evil son of a bitch...Bass thought as he opened the book. "I'll read it to you." There was a book mark at the end of a chapter and Bass started to read, figuring he'd be able to read a few pages before Charlie got bored.

He was, surprisingly wrong. As he was able to read a whole chapter to her. She asked alot of questions, though. Like why they just didn't turn on a light or drive their car; somethings like time change, Bass figured, just don't translate well to a three year old. He closed the book after a chapter, surprised that Miles hadn't gotten them for dinner. "Charlotte, let's go wash your hands and then we can go see what Miles made for dinner."

Charlie nodded, jumping off the couch. She pulled Bass to the bathroom in the hallway. (Wonder if she drags eeryone around or just me). After making sure her hands were washed, they made their way to the kitchen, where Miles was clean up a mess of some kind of casserole from the counter. "Having a bit of trouble there Miles?" Bass asked, a slight chuckle in his voice.

Miles turned around, "Just fine, Bastian. Just needed to heat up the dish and were good."

"Uh Huh." Bass said, helping Charlie climb up into a seat. "What do they have to drink around here?"

"Milk, water, juice, and no beer." Miles replied, opening the stove and pulling out the dish. Bass was looking in the fridge when he heard Miles said loudly, "Gah... Stupid..." and the sound of the faucet turning on.

He turned to see Miles at the sink running his hand under the water. "You know there's oven mits so that doesn't happen." Bass deadpanned, going over to check out the damage.

The burn wasn't anything major, just a bit of inflamed skin that would blister and peel off in a few days. "No shit Sherlock. There was a hole in the mit. Why would anyone keep that thing around."

Bass shook his head but was cut off by Charlie saying, "Uncles Miles you said a bad word, you gotsta go to timeout after dinner if you want dessert."

"Charlie, I what I said was by accident." Miles said, turning off the water as he tried reasoning with the toddler. "How about we let this slide?"

"No, bad words means timeout. You gotsta sit in the timeout chair for 10 minutes." Charlie said, looking at Miles like he was a big dummy.

Bass chuckled, wondering why he was actaully in a good mood for the fierst time in a while. "Just go with the Miles. I'm sure Serg will love to have your mouth cleaned up a bit." He then started to look for plates to serve the food on.

Miles grabbed three cups, filling the first with milk for Charlie and water for himself; leaving the last for Bass when he was done making the plates.

Dinner was a quiet affair, Charlie was a good eater and ate just about everything but the carrots because 'orange things taste funny'. Bass was still tired, his nap being interrupted by Charlie and all; and Miles was still sore that was stuck in timeout for ten minutes. Apparently Rachel was using timeout to secretly teach Charlie multiplication.

When dinner was over, Bass cleared the table (knowing full well that Miles would purposely stall and inevitably break something). That left Charlie to order Miles to the Chair and start the timer. Bass quickly started the dishwasher and went to the living room where Charlie was looking at a group of DVDs.

"Sebastian, should we watch Mulan or Swan Princess?" Charlie asked him when she saw him sit on the couch.

Bass looked at the child, surprised at how quickly she seemed to assimilate Miles and himself into her world. Now if only they could get her to assimilate enough to watch something not about fairy tales. "How about Mulan?" He shrugged, the music was catchy and it was almost a war movie.

Charlie nodded, putting the DVD into the play. Children now a days with their technology. The timer went off when Charlie sat on the couch, so Miles was about to get up. The movie started with the three of them sitting together, Charlie between the two Marines. She was out before Mushu bit the guy's butt.

...YouAren'tAsBraveAsYouWereAtTheStart...

Ben came home later that night to see Charlie laying with her head on Bass's leg and one foot on Miles's knee. All three were out like a light until Ben moved Charlie and Miles steered awake. "I'm gonna put her in bed, there's a spare room by hers if you want it."

Miles nodded, "Sure." He stood up, "How's Rachel and the Baby?"

Ben's face was lined with more worry than earlier as he spoke, "Rachel's all right... But he isn't doing so well. Three months early with a problem like his..."

Miles patted Ben's shoulder, not sure what to say. He was about to head to the spare room when Ben said, "Thanks for coming, it helps alot."

Miles smiled, "You're welcome. Though you should probably thank Bass more. He spent more time with her. She seems to like him."

Ben nodded, "Well, hopefully it helps him." He laid Charlie down, Miles had forgone going straight to the room to talk to Ben. Ben came out a moment later and continued, "It might do him some good, being around Charlie."

Miles nodded, Ben seemed to be right about that.

Notes: I have a question , is it ever revealed who is older. Ben or Miles?


End file.
